Thursday, October 05, 2006

I try, really I do

I repeated my "go-work-at-the-lake" thing today, but the weather just sucked. Cold and drizzly. All birders know that this weather isn't the best for finding any birds. Ducks and cardinals, that's all I saw. But I tried, darn it.

The view:

After doing my work, I walked over to the river side of the park (Lake Isabella Park is bordered by the lake on one side and the Little Miami River on the other) and the rain from last night has done a number on the water level.

And I found what will now be my favorite tree. I so love sycamores...they get so ginormous. We have one in the back yard and it's growing so fast, you can almost see it get taller as you watch it.

Natural cavities all over this tree!

While standing under the sycamore, I was straddling a small puddle about a foot from the water's edge.

In the course of 5 minutes, the puddle was three feet across. Time to go, I think.

I am starting to recognize the ducks at the lake by sight. The white/gray one on the left is always there. I wonder who his mama got with to make him that color? Mallards...they are so cheap and easy. They will hybridize with just about anything.

This is usually accessible by foot, but today I would have needed a dinghy.

Back in the spring, I found two dogs along the road. I finally tracked down the owner (who didn't even know they were gone) and took them back. This woman was so lacking in character. And look where she lives! It may not look it, but this house, in this neighborhood, is easily worth $1 million. You'd think they could afford a fence. And they own minivans...ugg.

The dogs were wearing invisible fence collars, but that doesn't seem to be stopping them. A week after I took them back, I saw a flyer dated 3 months prior, asking if anyone had seen the dogs. Escaping is not a new thing for these guys.

I drive by occasionally to see if the dogs are out (they seem to live in doghouses in the back yard). They were sweet little guys...one was a yellow lab and the other was a beagle/shep/mutt. Flip and McGee. Cute names for cute dogs.

I am not one to be prejudiced against anyone, but I find it hard to think nice thoughts about this pampered, wimpy woman. She didn't say thank you, but shook my hand, and I have felt more personality in dead fish.

We live in a nice neighborhood, with VERY nice neighborhoods around us, and I see affluent people all the time around here doing stupid things. I guess it goes to show you that money can't buy smarts.

Yowsa, Swami, maybe I should go away until the dust settles. Susan, I hope that rain isn't coming my way - it looks way nasty - we've had enough this week and I need some sunshine tomorrow!Gosh, so much money and no brains. I think I'd rather be poor and have a brain to use than to be a dead fish who is so rich she doesn't even have to take care of her dogs.

Do you have animal control that you could report these people to? Free-roaming dogs are in serious danger of getting themselves or others badly injured or worse. If the laws there are similar to the ones we have around here, the dogs would be taken to a shelter and adopted if not claimed. And if their owners do claim them, they might be fined for letting their dogs roam at large. Look into the local leash laws, you could be doing those dogs a big favor. (Walking through the kennels at an animal shelter is a wake-up call for people who rely on invisible fencing...check out the high percentage of dogs whose invisible fence collars are hanging on their cages!)can you tell this is one of my "pet" peeves?!Wendi

Click on this link when you are having a bad day and need a giggle

A Glossary for newcomers to the blog:

"Embrace your Inner Sheep": You'll just have to read back a ways for the explanation of that one.

FTS (Also known as F*** the Swainsons): When you just cannot, under any circumstances, get out and look at another bird today. That's it. I don't care what it is. F*** the Swainsons!

The Flock: A group of women (and a few men thrown in for good measure) who met here in Cyberspace and now travel together to birding festivals. We are unique in this because birders don't usually travel in "packs".

Learning Lemur: (See Science Chimp)

RAPTOR: A Cincinnati-based rehab center for birds of prey (also where I work)

Science Chimp: A term coined by Julie Zickefoose. Meaning anyone who sees something nature-oriented (whether it be scat or bones or the scene of a predator strike) and MUST figure out the circumstances. There is much grunting and "eep-eep-eeping" involved in a full-on Science Chimp display. Someone who is learning the art of Chimping can be called a "Learning Lemur".

"Squeee!": This is a noise you make when something is so cute or perfect, no other word will do.

"What? Lynne has herpes?": What your blogger heard and said during a quiet moment at an owl prowl when someone said that Lynne (Hasty Brook) has groupies.